Reciprocating pump



Juy 17, 1934. w. A. OBANNON RECIPROCATING PUMP Filed Jan. 6. 1 931 2Sheets-Sheet l July 17, 1934- w. A. OBANNON 1,966,994

REC IPROCAT ING PUMP Filed Jan. 6. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July17, 1934 PATENT OFFICE RECrraoCA'rrNG PUMP Walter A. OBannon, Tulsa,Okla., assigner to Walter OBannon Co., rlulsa, Okla.

Application January 6, 1931, Serial No. 506,995

6 Ciaims.

The present inventionrelates to a reciprocating pump primarily adaptedfor use in oil'wells.

In the operation of deep Well pumps, theoil cr water from the wellcarries with it a considerable amount of abrasive material, cuttings andline sand. These have a tendency to settle back as the fluid passesupwardly through the tubing to thetop of the welland if they settle backin sufficient quantities, or in any appreciable quantity, thereis aninclination to unnecessarily wear the moving parts of the pump as wellas the inside of the tubing inJ which the pump works.

Unless steps are taken to overcome or prevent lthe settling back of theabrasive materials, it is n' necessary to frequently pull the pump, thatis,

to such anvextent as to render further operation prohibitive.

In order tc have free movement, the pump barrel of the type to which theinvention relates, is provided with considerablel play between theoutside diameter of the crown and the tube in which it operates. In thereciprocation ofthe barrel by the sucker rods, there is a tendency forthis crown to move sidewiseresulting in a bending of the inner tube ofthe pump through which the uid passes upwardly through the pump, andexcessive wear on the parts.

To overcome the aforementioned diiiculties and reduce and minimize thewear on the various parts of the pump, I have provided a simple yet veryeffective means for preventing sand or other abrasive materials fromsettling back or working up in the pump, as well as for preventingsidewise deflection of the parts of the pump by positively maintainingthe same in position so as to Vconstantly work in a straight line.

The invention has for a further object the enclosing of the travelingbarrel in a chamber which contains a clean lubricant, or lubricatingfluid, the arrangement being such as to retain the lubricant within thischamber whereby to prevent the entrance of the contaminated fluid beingpumped, the abrasive materials in the pumped uid constituting thecontaminating elements.

A still further object of the invention Vis to provide means forcompensating for the change in lubricant Vcapacity of the chamberincident to the reciprocation of the traveling barrel, by causing `theexcess lubricant to be temporarily transferred tov an inner chamber, thelubricant being without any appreciable loss and without dis- (Cl. 10S-181) charge of the same with the pumped iiuid being lifted from thewell.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof dened by theappended claims.

In the drawings: y

Fig. l is a fragmentary View at the lower portion of a deep well, thewell casing being shown in section and the pump constructed inaccordance with the invention and located in position for operation;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the lower part ofthe pump and well tubing, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2A is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the upperpart of the pump and constituting a continuation of Fig. 2 at the upperend thereof, the traveling barrel extension being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2A;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4. of Fig. 2A; Y

Figs. 5, 6 and l are sectional views taken on the lines 5"-5, 6--6 and7-7 respectively of Fig. 2. v

Like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

The numeral 1 denotes the usual well casing forming the lining for thewell and through which the fluid is pumped by a suitable pump which islowered or run in the well at the end of the usual sucker rods 2, thereciprocation of the sucker rods imparting the reciprocation to thepump.

Ihe general construction of the working elements of the pump of thepresent invention is similar to a well known type including areciprocable barrel 3 cooperating with a stationary plunger, denotedgenerally by the numeral 4. More particularly, the plunger isconstructed in the form of a head 5 having a central passage 6 extendinglongitudinally thereof and communicating with a tubular member '7forming the plunger body on which is mounted the usual packing 8 andcups 9 in such manner as to be replaced as desired, all of which is wellknown in the art. Connected with the lower extremity of the member 7 isan inner tubular member 10 of smaller diameter than the reciprocablebarrel 3 to form an inner chamber 11 intermediate the tube 10 and barrel3. The barrel 3 is guided in its reciprocable movements by a lowerbushing v12 in the customary manner. Connected to the lower extremity ofthe inner tube `10 is the usual lower or standing valve cage 13 havingthe valve letherein cooperating with a seat l5. The usual cups 16, rings17 and valve bottom 18 are suspended from the lower end of the pump forseating the pump at the lower end of the well and sealing the same. Theimprovements forming the embodiment of the present invention are tofollow.

Preferably secured to the valve cage 13 is an outer stationary barrel 19extending upwardly therefrom about the reciprocable barrel 3 and inspaced relation thereto for providing an outer chamber 20 intermediatethe reciprocable barrel and outer barrel. The upper end of thereciprocable barrel l is provided with a crown 21 in which is arrangedthe upper valve 22 and seat 2 the crown being preferably closed andprovided with a tubular extension 24 constituting an extension of thereciprocable barrel, the eX- tension preferably being of smallerdiameter than the said reciprocable barrel and provided at its upper endwith discharge ports or apertures 25 and a connection 26 for attachingthe same to the sucker rods. The extension is preferably guided in itsreciprocating movements by a bushing 27 having a working lit with theextension, the bushing being carried by the upper end of the stationarybarrel 19, thereby substantially sealing the same.

A suitable seat 28 may be formed in the well casing or tubing formaintaining the bushing in position to properly support the stationarybarrel 19 when lowered to the bottom of the well.

The chambers 11 and 2O formed intermediate the inner tube andreciprocable barrel, and between the reciprocable barrel and the outerbarrel 19 respectively are filled with a clean lubricating fiuidpreferably before lowering the pump into the well, By providingapertures 29 in the lower part of the reciprocable barrel, thelubricating fluid is caused to alternately pass through the aperturesinto and out of the reciprocable barrel incident to the reciprocation ofthe same. It will thus be observed that an oscillatory motion isimparted to the body of the lubricating fluid by the reciprocation ofthe barrel 3, thereby compensating for the change in lubricant capacityof the outer chamber by virtue of the reciprocation of the barrel 3 inthe chamber.' Since the outer barrel 19 is closed at the lower extremitythereof by virtue of its connection with the standing valve cage 13, thelubricant is retained in the pump without any appreciable loss andwithout being discharged into the main stream of fluid being pumped fromthe well. This provides an automatically lubricated pump wherein thelubricant is kept free from contamination by virtue of its segregationfrom the pumped fluid, the lubricant being brought into contact with themovable parts of the pump incident to the reciprocation of the barrel 3.t

If it is not desirable to prell the pump, that is, to place thelubricant therein before running the pump in the well, substantially thesame result Will be produced since the first liquid which is pumped willfill the chambers 11 and 20 by entering between the barrel extension 24and the bushing 27, this being a working fit. Since the first fluidwhich is pumped from the well is substantially free of abrasivematerials, this fluid upon entering the chambers will be a cleanlubricant. Once the chambers have been filled, the lubricant is retainedtherein and completely isolated or segregated from the main pumpedfluid.

The use of the closed crown 21 hereinbefore described, and the dischargeof the pumped iiuid at the upper end of the travel barrel extension 24permit the use of the bushing 27 to positively guide the extension andcrown toeliminate the usual tendency for sidewise movement of the crownwhich results in bending of the inner tube and excessive Wear on themoving parts. Such a construction as shown in the drawings has adistinct advantage over the usual constructions. The bushing may be madeof any suitable material, preferably a metal having a low coefficient offriction. If desired, the tubular extension 24 may also be made of asuitable metal having a low coefficient of friction.

From the foregoing description of the parts, the operation of theinvention should be apparent and may be briefly summarized as follows:

After the assembly of the pump and filling of chambers 11 and 20 withthe clean lubricant, the pump is connected to the sucker rods in theusual manner by the connection 26 and lowered or run in the well untilthe same is seated in the proper position in the bottom of the well, thewell tubing being preferably provided with a restricted portion forengaging the bushing 27 at the upper end of the pump after the same hasreached its proper position. The reciprocation of the sucker rods in anywell known manner causes the traveling barrel 3 to move up and down,thereby raising the liquid in the well and forcing the same upwardlythrough the well tubing. On the upward stroke of the barrel 3, thereduction in pressure within the central tubular fluid passage throughthe plunger causes the fluid to enter the passage by unseating thestanding valve 14, downward movement of the pump closing the valve 14and unseating the valve 22 in the crown 21 to force the fluid outwardlythrough the discharge ports at the upper end of the extension 24 intothe tubing. During the reciprocation of the barrel 3, the lubricantcontained in the chambers 11 and 20 is displaced from one chamber to theother. For example, on the upward movement of the barrel 3, thelubricant in the inner chamber 11 is forced outwardly through theapertures 29 by virtue of the reduction in capacity of the chamber.Since the outer chamber 20 is increasing in capacity on the upwardmovement of the barrel 3, it is able to accommodate the lubricant whichis displaceed from the inner chamber. It is to be understood that thedimensions of the parts should be such as to provide chambers ofsubstantially equal capacity at all positions of the reciprocable barrel3. Downward movement of the barrel 3 reduces the capacity of the chamber20 and displaces the excess lubricant therefrom through the apertures 29and into the inner chamber 11 which is increasing in capacity on thedownward movement of the barrel 3.

As hereinbefore mentioned, instead of prefilling the pump with the cleanlubricant before running the same in the Well, it may be desirable toplace f been filled with lubricant, it will be retained" therein toprovide at all times a clean fluid which is brought into contact withthe moving parts incident to the reciprocation of the barrel 3.

While' the specific details of construction have been herein shown anddescribed, the invention is Gli not confined thereto as changes andalterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof asdefined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a pump of the class described, a reciprocable barrel, an outletvalve for said barrel, a stationary plunger therefor including an innertubular member arranged in spaced relation to the said reciprocablebarrel and forming an inner chamber intermediate the reciprocable barreland tubular member, a standing valve adjacent the lower extremity ofsaid inner tubular member, an outer stationary barrel surrounding saidreciprocable barrel and arranged in spaced relation thereto, said outerbarrel being closed at its lower end, a guide member at the upper end ofsaid stationary barrel surrounding said reciprocable barrel to guidesaid reciprocable barrel in its reciprocating movements, said guidemember substantially closing the upper end of the stationary barrelwhereby to provide a chamber adapted to contain a lubricant, and meansfor alternately displacing the lubricant from said last mentionedchamber to said inner chamber and from said inner chamber to said lastmentioned chamber incident to reciprocation of said reciprocable barrel.

2. A pump of the class described comprising a reciprocable barrel havinga closed crown and provided with a reduced elongated extension at itsupper end adapted to be connected to the usual sucker rods, said reducedextension having discharge ports adjacent to the upper extremitythereof, an outlet valve for said reciprocable barrel, a stationaryplunger in said reciprocable barrel including an inner tubular conduitarranged centrally of and in spaced relation to said reciprocable barreland provided with packing means extending about the same for a portionof its length, a standing valve including a cage connected to the lowerextremity of said inner tubular conduit, an outer barrel connected tosaid cage and surrounding said reciprocable barrel in spaced relationthereto, and a guide member carried by the upper extremity of said outerbarrel and surrounding the reduced extension of said reciprocable barrelwhereby to close the upper end of said outer barrel.

3, A pump of the class described comprising a reciprocable barrel havinga closed crown and provided with a reduced elongated extension at itsupper end adapted to be connected to the usual sucker rods, said reducedextension having discharge ports adjacent to the upper extremitythereof, an outlet valve for said reciprocable barrel, a stationaryplunger in said reciprocable barrel including an inner tubular conduitarranged centrally of and in spaced relation to said reciprocable barreland provided with packing means extending about the same for a portionof its length, a standing valve including a cage connected to the lowerextremity of said inner tubular conduit, an outer barrel connected tosaid cage and surrounding said reciprocable barrel in spaced relationthereto, a guide member carried by the upper extremity of said outerbarrel and surrounding the reduced extension of said reciprocable barrelwhereby to close the upper end of said outer barrel, a body of lubricantconfined intermediate said outer barrel and reciprocable barrel, andmeans for storing the excess lubricant displaced by the reciprocablebarrel incident to the reciprocation of the same.

4. A pump of the class described comprising a reciprocable barrel havinga closed crown and provided with a reduced elongated extension at itsupper end adapted to be connected to the usual sucker rods, said reducedextension having discharge ports adjacent to the upper extremitythereof, an outlet valve for said reciprocable barrel a stationaryplunger in said reciprocable barrel including an inner tubular conduitarranged centrally of and in spaced relation to said reciprocable barreland provided with packing means extending about the same for a portionof its length, a standing valve including a cage connected to the lowerextremity of said inner tubular conduit, an outer barrel connected tosaid cage and surrounding said reciprocable barrel in spaced relationthereto, a guide member carried by the upper extremity of said outerbarrel and surrounding the reduced extension of said reciprocable barrelwhereby to close the upper end of said outer barrel, a body of lubricantconfined intermediate said outer barrel and reciprocable barrel, andmeans for storing and returning the excess lubricant displaced by thereciprocable barrel incident to the reciprocation of the same.

5. A pump of the class described comprising a reciprocable barrel havinga closed crown and provided with a reduced elongated extension at itsupper end adapted to be connected to the usual sucker rods, said reducedextension having discharge ports adjacent to the upper extremitythereof, an outlet valve for said reciprocable bar rel a stationaryplunger in said reciprocable barrel including an inner tubular conduitarranged centrally of and in spaced relation to said reciprocable barreland provided with packing means extending about the same for a portionof its length, a standing valve including a cage connected to the lowerextremity of said inner tubular conduit, an outer barrel connected tosaid cage and surrounding said reciprocable barrel in spaced relationthereto, a guide member carried by the upper extremity of said outerbarrel and surrounding the reduced extension of said reciprocable barrelwhereby to close the upper end of said outer barrel, and a body oflubricant intermediate said outer barrel and reciprocable barrel, saidreciprocable barrel having an aperture therein adjacent to the lower endfor establishing communication with the interior of said reciprocablebarrel below the packing means, said lubricant being adapted to bealternately transferred through said aperture into and out of saidreciprocable barrel incident to reciprocation thereof.

6. In a pump of the class described, an outer pump barrel, an innerspaced stationary pump plunger, a spaced enclosing casing for said pumpbarrel and plunger, means for enclosing an oscillatable body of fluidlubricant within said casing and means to oscillate said lubricant backand forth between the space between the outer pump barrel and the pumpplunger and the space between the pump barrel and casing incident toreciprocation of said barrel.

WALTER A. OBANNON.

